The Bucs have the future in their hands at inside linebacker with Josiah Trotter, who they drafted in the second round this year. While the 21-year old Trotter is a young player with many years of football ahead for him, he’s also got an old school style of play that the Bucs were fans of during the draft process. That’s why he’s in Tampa Bay.

The coaches see a trait in Trotter that’s been missing on this team for a couple of years. Trotter gives Tampa Bay a true Mike linebacker at the position. This allows for the Bucs to use their personnel in a way where Trotter can handle responsibilities that would often be required of adding another player closer to the line of scrimmage.

Josiah Trotter Brings Mean, Old School Football To The Bucs

“He’s mean. I was happy we got him,” Bucs run game coordinator Larry Foote said. “He is mean. I don’t think since we’ve been here we’ve had that true Mike linebacker. What I mean by that is he’s able to hit the guard and go make the play, and get off very easily. He can strike those guys. It’s a little old school football, I’m quite sure he gets it from his daddy.

“He’s that definition of that Mike linebacker, and it helps you when you have those guys because you don’t have to have a lot of guys in the box. You can go light box protecting the run because you know he can two-gap. He handled his A gap, then get to the C gap.” 

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell has been familiar with Trotter for years. He was teammates with his dad, Jeremiah Trotter Sr., and watched Josiah grow up. Caldwell understands the game that Trotter has and what he’ll bring to the Bucs.

“Hoping that it’s a mindset,” Caldwell said. “A mindset for us getting back to being a physical front and he’s that type of player. He’s a guy that can come down hill, use his hands and he’s just a physical presence inside.”

There are a couple of things that players have that one can’t teach. Trotter has that in droves.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“When you have the instincts – you talk about instincts all the time. What are instincts? To see plays and recognize plays,” Caldwell said. “If you grow up doing that, hearing your dad talk about it over and over and over and over again, eventually it’s going to sink into you. And once it’s sunk into him and he’s a student of the game like his dad was, we’re excited about him.”

Bucs ILBs coach Mike Caldwell – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bucs Not Worried About Trotter’s Pass Coverage

Known as downhill linebacker that can blitz well, the criticism on Trotter has been that he has shortcomings in pass coverage. Bucs coaches would beg to differ, though. Trotter only did what was asked of him at Missouri. What the Bucs coaches have him do in Tampa Bay will be different.

“See, when I watch his tape – because you hear that he’s a big thumper, a Mike linebacker – but then you watch the tape, he’s not a liability in the pass game,”  Foote said. “I know his strength. A lot of times when their strength is the run game you automatically go, ‘Oh, he’s lacking in the pass game.’ But all of them – when you hit this league – you’ve got to learn just as far as the hashes, it’s a different game. It’s a lot easier, but you’ve got to transition to this game. I don’t see that as a weakness. 

Bucs OLBs coach Larry Foote – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“They’re all going to have to develop, learn how to play underneath, smell the quarterback, know where he’s going, know the handoff of the ball, stuff like that. But once again, I was surprised that we got him.”